Wheeled carrier



Jan. 15, 1952 E. A. HOWARD WHEELED CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June26, 1945 L71 H INVENTOR.

BY fa 2 3 ATTORNEY- 1952 E. A. HOWARD 2,582,435

WHEELED CARRIER Filed June 26, 1946 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 rill/III! 4IIIIIIIIIIIII IN V EN TOR.

BY/l WM A T TOR/v5 Y.

E. A. HOWARD WHEELED CARRIER Jan. 15, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June26, 1946 VII/II/I/IIII/IIIIIIM I INVENTOR. 1%Mdfih1/M BY I A WW A TTOENEY.

some for some people to lift or move.

used 1 in several different manners.

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEELED CARRIEREdwar'dA. Howard, Altadena, Calif. Applicationlune 12.6, 1946, SerialNo. 67933.

14 Cla ms. I

This invention has todo with a wheeled car rier and it is a generalobject of the invention to provide a simple, easily operated carrier ofgeneral utility.

There are many situations where objects or articles are to be handled ortransported. For example, around a home there are variou objects tobehandled or movedfrom time to ti such objects being sacKS, luggage,garbage and miscellaneous articlesoivarious forms. Suqh objects orarticles are not always of great weight or bulk, but they are oftendiflicult and burden,-

Further. th matt r of carrying ro eries, or .thelike, and

of carrying small children, often becomes very burdensome. Again,thereare people'who render .services or perform tasks that requirecarrying loads,..as for example,-postmen usually carry bags ofmail,,and.this at times becomes a ratherheavy burden.

It is a general object of my invention to pro- -.vide a carrier for usein situationssuch as Ihave outlined. The carrier that I have provided islight and easy to handle, and is .very simple to manipulate. The carrieris adjustable or collapsible so that it can be conveniently carried inan automobile, or the like, or can'be handled in limited quarters andstored in asmall space.

. It isa further object of mypresent-invention to provide a wheeledcarrier adaptable to various uses and which works easily and eflicientlywhen The structure that I have provided is so organized and balanced asto make it a carrier that can be used'to equaladvantage where it isdesired or necessary that the object being handled be supported byresting it on a platform or where the object or article is such as to beadvantageously hung or suspended from its upper end.

-may be removed to render the platform available for carrying objectssuch'as boxes, barrels, cans, etc.

Another object of my presentinvention jis'ito provide a Wheeled carrierof the general type referred to involving few simple inexpensive parts.The structure that I have provided can be easilyand cheaply manufacturedof standard readily available materials, and it involvesfew asimple{parts that are easilyassembled and: which cooperate to form .asubstantial, effective unit practical for general service such as Ihaveoutlined above.

It is another object of my invention to provide a carrier of the generaltype referred to which is collapsible or contractible into a simple,convenient form suitable for being handled in pub.- lic conveyances, inautomobiles, or for being stored Where space is limited.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the iollowing detailed description of typical preferredforms ;and applications of my invention, throughout which descriptionreference is made to the ac.- .companyine draw ngs, i w ch;

lEFig. 1 i s a side elevation of a typical preferred form f d v ce emboin my pre n ve t on, sh wing its ari u pr ipal parts in fu l wo kingposition, a basket being located above the pla orm a d a bag e g suspded rom h handle. Fig. 2 is a front view or a personhandling thestructure provided by the present inventi at o s o th fi ure an embodment of the invention is shown collapsed and 1 carried on the shoulder,andat the other side of the figure an embodiment of the invention i sh wc0l ap ed and ed in e ban F g- 3 is aside View of the structure showingit with the ask tre v d th a d d w a d the structure ee o n loa w t er,and

showina th p at orm in a fully folded position,

and indicating an alternate position in which the platform may ea ne i Ai a v ew similar to Fig. 1 showing the device without a load suspendedfrom the handle and without the basket, and showing a load carried bythe "platform. Fi ;5 is a front elev on of the structure showin itwithout any load whatever and without the basket. ,Fig. .6 is airontelevation of the structure, showing the basket in place and showinga bag carried by the handle, being a view taken as indicated by line6-.-6 on Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view of thestructure, being a viewtaken as indicated byline 1-! .on Fig. 6. :Fig. ,8 is an enlarged,detailed sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 8-3 onFig. 4 with certain parts broken away to show in section and with partsbroken Qout to compress the illustration. Fig. 9 is an onlarged detailedsectional view taken as indic ted by line 9- 9lo. Fig- 4. Fig. lo-isaneularged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line Iii-Ii! onFig. 6. Fig. 1 1 isan isometric view of ,a modified form of constructionshow.-

:ing it without the basket ,and free of any load whatsoever. Fig. 12 isa view similar to Fig. 9 showing the structure employed in the modifiedform of device illustrated in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig.8 showing the construction followed in Fig. 11. Fig. 14 is a view takensubstantially as indicated by line I4I4 on Fig. 13 and Fig. 15 is atransverse sectional view taken as indicated by line I5-I5 on Fig. 14.

The structure that I have provided involves certain primary or essentialelements, the formation and relationship of which I will set forth indetail. These various elements may be varied considerably in form anddesign or as to details of construction. For example, in Figs. 1 to 10,inclusive, I show one type or form of construction, whereas in Figs. 11to 15, inclusive, I show another form or type of construction. Indescribing a typical form and application of the invention and inexplaining typical uses of the device, I will first refer to theembodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive. The structure that Ihave provided involves, generally, a main frame A, a pair of supportingwheels B, mounting means C for each wheel, a handle unit D shiftablerelative to the frame 'A, a latch means E controlling the handle unit,"a platform F, means G adjustably supporting the platform from the frameA, a wheel support H for the platform F, a bag J suspended from thehandle unit D, and a basket K carried by the frame A.

The frame A is, in effect, the part or element to which the variousother parts or elements of the structure are connected, and in its pre-D, although they preferably extend upwardly and rearwardly somewhat aswill be apparent from an examination of Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of thedrawings. The frame further involves a top 'rail II that extends betweenand connects the upper end portions of the side members I and a bottomrail I2 that extends between and connects the lower end portions of theside members II]. In the preferred arrangement of parts the top rail islocated at the upper ends of the side members III while the bottom railI2 is spaced somewhat above the lower ends of the side members so thatthe side members have downwardly projecting lower end portions which Iwill term legs l3. The legs I3 are of equal length and are preferablyprovided at their ends with caps such as rubber tips I4, or the like, sothat they will not mar the fiOOr or the surface when the device is in aposition such as is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The rails of the frame may be connected to the side members thereof inany suitable manner and in practice the particular construction involvedfor making these connections will be governed somewhat by the form ortype of material employed in the construction of the frame members. Inthe case being described the frame members Ill, II and I2 are simplestraight tubular parts, in which case I may employ any convenientconstruction suitable for joining tubes. In the drawings I have shownfittings I5 connecting the ends of the bottom rail I2 to the sidemembers III. Each fitting I5 involves a tubular part I6 fast or tight onthe member- ID that it engages and having a stud I'I projectmg laterallyto enter the end of member I2. In practice the joints or connectionsbetween the several parts just referred to may be made secure or tightby 5 any suitable means and, if desired, and regardless of what meansmay be employed I may anchor the parts together as by providingindentations at points I8, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The ends of top rail I I are secured to the members ID by suitablefittings I9. Each fitting I9 has a tubular part 20 fast or tight on themember 7 II) that it engages and has a stud 2| projecting laterally toenter the end of member I2. The fittings l9 like the fittings I5 may besecured to or made fast on the frame parts in any suitable manner.

The wheels B of the carrier are preferably simple light wheels ofsuitable size. For example, as shown in the drawings, they may besimple, disctype wheels, each having a hub 22 and havin a rim 23 tocarry a tread or tire 24, such as a rubber tire, in the manner common towheels used in devices of the type under consideration.

Each wheel mounting C supports or carries one of the wheels B and it isan important feature of my invention that the means C support the wheelsB so that they are rearward of the frame A and also spaced or offsetlaterally from the frame A and are supported so that the space betweenthe wheels is unobstructed or free of axles or other like parts.

In the preferred form of my invention each of the wheel supporting ormounting mean C involves a pair of angularly related struts having theirinner ends secured or connected to spaced parts of the frame A andhaving their outer ends connected together rearward of and laterallyofiset from the frame A. One of the struts of means D is a lower strut26 that projects rearwardly and laterally from the lower end portion ofthe frame while the other is what I will term the upper strut 21 whichstrut projects downwardly and laterally from the upper end portion ofthe frame A.

The strut 26 may be joined or coupled to the frame A in any suitablemanner and to gain the desired structural effect I connect it to thelower end portion of the frame A. In the preferred 0 arrangement Iconnect the strut 26 to the frame A at or by means of the fitting I5 andin connecting the strut to the fitting I5 I may employ the same type ofconstruction that I use in connecting frame member I2 to the fitting I5,that is, where tubular parts are employed it is convenient to providethe fitting I5 with a stud I! like the stud shown in Fig. 8, to fit intothe end of I the strut 26.

The upper or long strut 21, which is in effect 60 an upright, has itsupper end secured to the upper end portion of frame A, preferablyopposite the top rail II. In the construction illustrated the fitting I9provided to connect the top rail I I with the side member I0 is providedwith a flattened 35 base 28 and a stud 29 projects from the base.

The strut 21 is tubular and its upper end is fiattened and carried onthe stud 29. A nut 30 applied to the stud clamps the flattened end ofthe strut tight against the base 28.

The struts extend from the frame A to connect together at a pointrearward of the lower end portion of the frame A and laterally removedfrom the frame. In the drawings I have shown a connection between thelower or outer ends of 75-the struts'which connection involves a head 31oh the endef strut 2-6 I which head carriesa mem-' her having a threadedpart 32 threaded-through the head and projecting from one 'endof thehead toi'eceive and'hold the flattened end 33 of strut 27. A nut 34clamps and holds the end 33 orthe strut 2'! in the manner shown in Fig.9 of th drawings. The member carried by or thread ed ihtoth'e head 3-3has a part 35 projecting from thebther endof the head, which part servesas a trunnion on which a wheel B is mounted. In theurawings-I 'haveshowna Wheel B mounted on trunnion part 35 through a bushing 36 and IhaveShOWh thepart 35 provided at its oute'r end withfa head 31"whichretains the wheel in place. Itwill be observed from the drawings thatthe part-carried by the head 3| to hold the strut 21 and toserveas amounting and retainer for the wheel Bmay be a simple bolt, the shanl: ofwhich 'Iorhisypart 35 having the head 3-! while the threaded end isengaged in the head 3| to carry the strut 21 and to hold the retainingnut 34. when the retaining nut 34 is made tight it not only clamps thestrut in place but also looks the bolt member against turning and thussets the entire assembly permanently in position.

It will be observed from the drawings that the struts 26 areconsiderablyshorter than the struts 2'! and that the struts when coupled togetherand "to the frame A, as above described, form a structure withtriangul'ar'parts at each side and which supported by the wheels 13 sothat the struts 26 project forward and somewhat upward and inward fromthe wheels, while the frame A is disposed or carried in an angularposition extending upwardly and rearwardly from the points where it isengaged by the struts 26' so that its lower end portion is somewhatforward of the wheels while its upper end portion 'is in sub-'s't'antial vertical alignment with the wheels or the axis of the wheelsupport. It will be appar- 'ent from an examination of the severalfigures on sheet 1 of the drawings that the structure just described canbe readily rocked or tilted on the wheels B between a working positionsuch as isshown inFigs. l and 4, and a position of rest such as is shownin Fig. 3. When the structure is working, as shown in Figs. 1 and l, thestructure has its upper end tilted or rocked slightly tether-ear,lifting the tips of the legs l3 oif the ground or floor over which thestructure operates, whereas when the structure is at rest it is tiltedor rocked slightly forward and the tips of the legs bear on the floor orground, the parts being maintained in this position through the actionof gravity.

. It is particularly important to note that I have, 5

sult that the structure when in a folded or collapsed position such asis shown in Fig. 3, or

'suchas is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, may be convenientlycarried from a persons shoulder such as is shown at the right in Fig.-2-, "or can' be held or carried by the hand when the arm is dependingat the side, allowing parts of the'body to enter or workbetween thewheels.

The handle D is preferably a simple U shaped ipartor element formed ofone piece or length of material-end when so formed has an upper cross 6bar that 1 will call a grip 4n and has spaced depending arms 4| whichserve to connect the harrdle element to the frame A. The arms 4|preferably connect to the side members Ill of'the frame and; inthearrangement illustrated the arms 4| and side members II] aretelescopically engaged. that is,- -the arms ll slidably fit into theupper ends of the frame members It. Th-rough this cbnstruct-ion thehandle element is adjustable or shiftable relativeto the frame betweenan ex-'- tended or u positionsuch as it will be left-in during normaluseof the device and which is shown'in Figs. 1 and 4 ofthe drawings; and adown or collapsed position such as is-shown in Fig.3 of the drawings. Itwill be apparent that by varying the position of the handle elementrelative to the frame A I change the position of the grip -40 relativeto the frame and it will be apparent that-the means E that I am about todescribe may be such as to provide for setting or holdin'g the' handlein any desired position. I have referred to but two positions of thehandle element as, in practice, that is all that is generally necessarysince the grip E5 is convenient for a person when standing when thehandle element is in the up position shown in Figs. 1 and 4. and it isconvenient for handling the device as shown in'Fig. 1 when the handleelement is collapsed'or down,'as shown in Fig. 3.

The latch means E -provided to control the handle element that I havejust described "may be any suitable latch'or fastening device. In thedrawingsI have shown latch pins 59 carried by the fittings I9 andnormally urged by a spring 5i to engage or look into openings 52 in thearms of the'handle. Asingle spring 5'! acts under com pression betweenthe heads 53 on the lock pins and the construction is such that wheneveran opening 52 is moved into register with a lock pin the pin ordinarilymoves forward to enter the opening. I provide an operator or operatingmeans for the lock pins so that they can be released frofn the openings52 when desired. In the particular construction illustrated a simpleflexible member such as a chain 55 is provided at' the'exterior of 'thestructure, for instance, im-

mediately outside of the top rail 1 I of the frame, and pins 56 projectfrom the heads 53 to receive and hold the ends of the chain. It will beapparentthat by pulling on the-chain both heads '53 can be operatedagainst the spring 5! to retract the lock pins simultaneously. It is tobe observed that through this simple latch construction I provide adependable structure which is not subject to accidental operation sinceit will ordinarily require deliberate operation to release both l'ockpins simultaneously, and it is not likely 'that'they' could he releasedaccidentally or by a child.

The platform F thatI have provided is adapted to be arranged at and toproject forward from the lower end portion of the frame A and althoughit may be varied widely in form and In the construction illustrated eachof these con;-

nections involves a plate fixed on one side of its-supporting leg t3, acentral stud 66 projecting from the plate 65, one or more oil'set lugs61 projecting from the plate 85, a fiat end part 68 on the arm BI and athreaded member 69 carried by the stud and clamping the end part 68 tothe plate 65. The end part 68 has a plurality of openings formed in itto receive the stud or studs 61 when the plate 69 is in various rotativepositions on the stud 66. I prefer to arrange and proportion the partsjust described so that the connections between the arms 6! and the legsl3 can be set with the platform substantially horizontal and projectingforward, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, or can beset in a completely folded position such as is shown in full lines inFig. 3, or in the alternately folded position such as is shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that when the end parts 68 areclamped to the plates 65 by the members69 with the lugs 61 engaged inthe openings I0 the connections are secure and dependable and that it isa simple matter to adjust or change the connections in that all that isrequired is that the members 69 be released, allowing the end parts 68to be moved away from the plates 65 far enough to disengage the plates61 from the lugs.

The wheel support or supports H that I provide for the platform F may ormay not be employed, as circumstances require. However, ordinarily it isadvantageous to provide the platform with one or more supporting wheelsH. In the case illustrated I have shown two small wheels H supportingthe platform F, each wheel being carried in a simple castor bracket 12so that the wheels swivel or readily track or have a castoring action asthe device is manipulated. The wheels H are located at a mostadvantageous point beneath the platform or plate 60 and they are somounted and of such diameter relative to the other parts of theconstruction as to support the frame A through the platform so that thelegs of the frame are out of engagement with the ground during normaluse of the carrier, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. Byproviding a pair of spaced castor type wheels beneath the platform F, asI have just described, I provide a construction that is ,freely movable,very easy to steer, and which is safe and stable.

The bag J provided to be supported from the handle D is generalIy, autility bag designed to carry various objects or articles. However, inaccordance with my invention it is advantageous to employ a bag such asis ordinarily used to handle mail and, therefore, I have shown this typeof bag in the drawings. The bag J, as shown in the drawings, is asimple, conventional type of bag, open at the top, and to connect it tothe handle D a plurality of rings or fasteners 15 is provided on the topor rim of the bag to be engaged and held by hooks 16 on the arms 4| ofthe handle element. As a further means of supporting the bag either toserve in place of or in addition to the rings and hooks, I provide astrap ll across the top or mouth of the bag, which strap may be engagedagainst the grip portion of the handle element in the manner illustratedin Figs. 1, 6 and 7 of the drawings. When I employ both the rings andhooks and the strap, as I have shown in the drawings, the bag is verysecurely and dependably fastened to the handle D. It is important tonote that I can arrange the bag J held by the fastening means justdescribed either to hang forward of the handle D, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1, or to the rear of the handle, as shown in full lines inFig. 1. In arranging the bag at the forward side of the handle the hooksand/or the strap can be employed to fasten the bag to the handle D andthe lower end portion of the bag is arranged to bear on or against thetop rail l I of the frame A. When the bag is in this position its centerof gravity is somewhat farther forward than when in the position shownin full lines in Fig. 1, and furthermore, it is held so that it isstable or not free to swing. When the bag is allowed to han to the rearof the handle, as shown in Fig. 1, it hangs straight down and it is freeto swing somewhat from its upper end or point of suspension.

The basket K is provided to be carried by the frame A to project forwardtherefrom in a manner to overhang or overlie the platform F and, inpractice, the form, shape, size and construction of the basket may bevaried, as circumstances require. For general use I prefer to provide abasket K formed of heavy fabric or the like and reinforced with asuitable metal frame, and if children are to be carried I form thebasket K so that it forms a seat or chair for an infant or small child.

The basket K illustrated in the drawings involves, generally, a flatbottom which is preferably normally horizontal or substantially so, andthe bottom, if it is to be used as a seat, may be a panel or board ofstiff material. Where the basket is formed primarily of fabric or thelike the seat or bottom 80 is covered with fabric. The basket furtherincludes vertical sides 8|, a back 82 and a front 83. The frameconstruction that I provide to carry the aforementioned parts of thebasket support the said parts so that they form a substantiallyrectangular open-topped box-like structure and where the basket is to beused to carry a child the seat or bottom 80 is supported a suitabledistance above the platform and the front 83 is provided with legopenings 84 located to allow the childs legs to project forward from thebasket so that the feet may rest upon the forward portion of theplatform F.

The frame that I have provided to carry the fabric or flexible parts ofthe basket includes a back bar 85 which extends across the back of thebasket somewhat above the upper edge of the bag part 82, side members 86which depend from the bar 85 to be joined together at lower ends by aspreader 8i, forwardly projecting arms 88 carried by the side members tosupport the sides 8| from their upper edges, and a front bar 89 mayextend between the forward ends of the arms 88 to support the front 83from its upper edge.

The basket K constructed as I have above described, is releasablyconnected to the frame A. In the case illustrated I provide a pair of.spaced hooks 99 on the top bar 85 to engage over the top rail ll of theframe A and when the hooks are engaged over the top rail of the framethe spreader 81 that extends between the side members bears against thefront of the frame. In the particular case illustrated the spreaderbears on the fittings 15.

In using the structure that I have provided it can be handled ormanipulated with the handle D either collapsed or retracted, as shown inFig.

3, or extended, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 6 of the drawings. For mostordinary use it is desirable that the handle be extended. However, ifthe device is being carried, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it isdesirable that the handle be collapsed or contracted. It will be readilyapparent that the carrier can be used for various different operations.For instance, if it is desired to carry a heavy or bulky object such asa garbage pail: P, the. bag- J and the seat K. are-removed and. theobjectto be carried is placed on the platform. F in the manner shown inFig. 4- f the drawings; If it is desired to carry groceries or likearticles, or to carry achild, the seat K is employed and the platform isleft in position so that the child may sit on the top 80 of the basketwith its feet on the platform F, as will be apparent from an examinationof Fig. 1 of the drawings. In such case, if necessary, the bag J can bealso handled by the device, in which case it can. be allowed to hangfrom the handle in the manner shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and will inno way interfere with the child in the basket K. If it is desired tomerely handle an object such as the bag J it can be attached to thehandle D either to lie against the front of the frame and handle, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,. or to depend from the cross baror gripof the handle in the manner shown in full lines in'Fig- 1.

When the device is to be carried, as for instance on a public conveyanceor in congested places, the-handle can be collapsed and if a. bag isbeing carried, as for instance a bag such as is employed to carry mail,it can be attached to the handle either in the manner shown at the leftor in the manner shown at the right in Fig. 2, and in either case thedevice will assume a position where the wheels are to the front and rearof the user and the device is allowed to hang freely in a natural,convenient position.

If it is desired to store the device or arrange it in a limited space itcan be folded either to the position shown in full lines or to thatshown in dotted. lines in Fig. 3, in which case the frame, platformwheels and their support, and the handle, fold into a compact unit: andthe basket detached from the other parts can be handled independently,and if a bag is. included the bag can, of course, be folded or nestedwith the other parts so that the entire assembly form a simple, compactunit very easy to store.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 11 to 15, inclusive, Ishow a frame A formed somewhat differently than the frame abovedescribed, and I show a simplified handleD and a modified constructionof the means C and of the platform F.

In this form of the invention the frame is formed of strap iron or thelike. and involves, generally, side members l t a top rail H and abottom rail 52 The bottom. rail is shown riveted to the side members andthe side members carry fittings ic near their upper end portions, whichfittings serve as means. for attachment of the struts 21 and of the armsl'l' of the means C and.

respectively.

The means (3 involves short struts: 26* and long struts illcorresponding, generally, inform, shape and arrangement with thestrutsabove described, except that th y are strips rather than tubes.The lower outer ends of the struts 26 and 21 joined together by a member32 which carries a clamp nut 35*. A part 35' projects from the part 32to carry the wheel. In the construction shown in Fig. 12 the part 32 isnot threaded to either of the struts but the strutsare clamped betweenthe nut 3 and a second nut-34' threaded on art 32 The piatformF mayinvolve a base'portion 65 with integrally formed rearwardly projectingarm's fil joined to the legs l3 by suitablefastening means G.

The fittings'ii at the upper; end portions of the irame rriembers ithave the upper ends of the struts fl 'fastened to them at 29 and eachfitting 19 has spaced side parts between which the arms 41 fit and aresecured by pivot pins NH. The side parts. I00 have upwardly projectingears I02 and sleeves Hi3 are carried on the arms so that they can bedropped down over the ears so they form. fasteners retaining the handleD in an extended or up position, as shown in Fig. 11. In this form ofthe invention I show a spreader H0 between the two means C carrying thewheels, which spreader extends between the connected outer end portionsof the struts as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings. This strutmay be eliminated if the frame structure is generally heavy and sturdyenough. However, if the structure is made of light material it isdesirable.

From the foregoing description. of the form of the: invention shown inFigs. 11 to 15, inclusive, it will be apparent that the structure thereshown is very similar to that first described, except the handle D ispivotally connected to the. frame A and there is the strut H0 betweenthe wheels and the constructions employed at the various points ofconnection are varied to accommodate the form of material employed. 4

It is to be understood that in carrying out my invention I prefer toemploy, wherever possible, light, durable materials. For instance, inthe form of the invention first described I prefer to employ tubingformed of light material such as is common in aircraft construction, andlikewise in forming the invention as last described I may employ stripsof lightweight material. By employing light materials and by providing astructural arrangement and formation of parts that is simple and whichinvolves few parts, the device, as a whole, is very light, making iteasy and con venient to handle and making it practical to emthat I havehereinabove be limited or restricted to the specific detailsherein setforth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modificationsthat may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope ofthe following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. -A carrier of the character described including, a frame includingspaced parallel side members joined by transverse upper and lowerrails,a pair of wheels, a support for each wheel extending rearwardly andlaterally from the frame to support the wheel outward and rearward ofthe frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frame extends upwardand rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, a handle shiftablyconnected to the frame, the wheels being carried by the supports so thespace between them is wholly unobstructed, the handle including atransverse grip and depending arms slidably carried by the side membersof the frame, and latch means holding the arms against movement relativeto the frame. 1

2. A carrier of the character described includ ing, a'frame includingspaced parallel side members joined by transverse upper and lower rails,a pair of wheels, a support for each wheel extending rearwardly andlaterally from the frame to support the wheel outward and rearward ofthe frame at thelower end portion thereof so the frame extends upwardand rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, a handle shiftablyconnected to the frame, the wheels being carried by the supports so thespace between them is wholly unobstructed, the handle including atransverse grip and depending arms slidably carried by the side membersof the frame, and latch means holding the arms against movement relativeto the frame including spring pressed lock pins carried by the frame toengage the arms and an operating member for the pins.

3. A carrier of the character described including, a frame includingside members and top and bottom rails connecting the side members, apair of wheels, a support for each wheel extending rearwardly andlaterally from the frame to support the wheel outward and rearward ofthe frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frame extends upwardand rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, a handle shiftablyconnected to the frame, the wheels being carried by the supports so thespace between them is wholly unobstructed, a platform carried by thelower end portion of the frame to project forward therefrom, and abasket carried by the frame forward thereof and to overlie the platform,the basket having a hook engaging the top rail of the frame.

4. A carrier of the character described including, a frame, a pair ofwheels, and a support for each wheel extending rearwardly and laterallyfrom the frame to support the wheel outward and rearward of the frame atthe lower end portion thereof so the frame extends upward and rearwardwhen its lower end rests on the ground, a handle shiftably connected tothe frame, the wheels being carried by the supports so the space betweenthem is wholly unobstructed, the handle including a transverse grip,arms depending from the grip and having sliding engagement with theframe, and hooks on the arms above the frame to carry a bag.

5. A carrier of the character described including, a frame includingside members and top and bottom rails extending between the sidemembers, a pair of wheels, and a support for each wheel extendingrearwardly and laterally from the frame to support the wheel outward andrearward of the frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frameextends upward and rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, ahandle shiftably connected to the frame, the wheels being carried by thesupports so the space between them is wholly unobstructed, each supportincluding a lower strut connected to the frame at the bottom rail and anupper strut connected to the frame at the top rail, the struts beingconnected together where the wheel is supported.

6. A carrier of the character described including, an elongate frameincluding, substantially parallel side members extending longitudinallyof the frame, transverse rails between the side members at the upper andlower end portions of the frame, and fittings joining the rails to thesaid members, a pair of wheels, and a support for each wheel extendingrearwardly and laterally from the frame to support the wheel outward andrearward of the frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frameextends upward and rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, ahandle carried by the upper end portion of the frame, the wheels beingcarried by the supports so the space between them is whollyunobstructed, each support including a short lower strut joined to oneof said fittings for connection to the lower end portion of the frameand a long upper strut connected to the upper end portion of the frame,the struts being connected together where the wheel is supported.

'7. A carrier'of the character described including, a frame havingspaced parallel side members and transverse top and bottom railsconnecting the side members, a pair of wheels, 2. support for each wheelof said pair including a lower short strut having its inner endconnected to the lower end portion of the frame and extending rearwardlyand laterally therefrom, a long upper strut having its upper endconnected to the upper portion of the frame and extending downwardly andlaterally therefrom, the outer ends of the struts being connectedtogether and a wheel supporting member carried by the struts where theirouter ends are connected together, a platform including a base andrearwardly projecting arms connected to the lower end portion of theframe, a wheel support for the platform. a basket carried at the frontof the frame and having hooks engaging the top rail of the frame andhaving a bottom disposed above the platform, the basket having legopenings to accommodate the legs of a child sitting on the bottom so itsfeet may rest on the platform, a handle including a transverse grip anddepending arms slidably engaging the side members of the frame, the sidemembers having hooks to carry a bag, and a latch carried by the frameoperable to engage and hold the arms of the handle, the handle beingmovable between a retracted position where the grip is close to the topof the frame, and an extended position where the grip is a substantialdistance above the frame.

8. A carrier of the character described includ ing, a rectangular frameincluding tubular side members and transversely disposed top and bottomrails connecting the side members, there being portions of the sidemembers extending below the bottom rail forming legs, a pair of wheelsand a support for each wheel of said pair including a short lower struthaving its inner end connected to the frame where the lower railconnects to one side member of the frame, a long upper strut having itsupper end connected to the frame where the top rail connects to the saidside memher, the lower strut extending rearwardly and laterally fromsaid side member, the upper strut extending downwardly and laterallyfrom said side member and the outer ends of the struts being connectedtogether, and a wheel support carried by the struts where their outerends are connected together, a platform including a plate and armsprojecting rearwardly from the plate to the frame, means adjustablypivotally connecting the arms of the platform to the legs of the frame,castor wheels supporting the platform,

' a basket including a fabric body and a reinforcing frame for the bodywhich reinforcing frame has hooks engaging over the top rail of thefirst mentioned frame supporting the basket with the bottom thereofspaced above the platform, the front of the basket having leg openingsto accommodate the legs of a child sitting on the bottom of the basketso its feet may rest on the platform, a handle including a U-shapedmember with a transverse grip portion and depending arms slidablyreceived in the side members of the first mentioned frame and hooks onthe arms of the handle to carry a bag, and latch means carried by thetop rail of the first mentioned frame including spring pressed pinsengageable with the arms of the handle and an operating member forsimultaneously operating the pins to withdraw them from the arms of theframe.

9. A carrier of the character described including, a substantially flatelongate rectangular frame including substantially parallel side membersextending longitudinally of the frame and connected by transverse rails,a pair of wheels, and a support for each wheel extending rearwardly andlaterally from the frame to support the wheel outward and rearward ofthe frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frame extends upwardand rearward when the lower ends of said members rest on the ground, aU-shaped handle connected to the upper end portion of the frame andincluding a transverse hand rail and parallel legs projecting therefromparallel to and engageable within the side members of the frame, thewheels being carried by the supports so the space between them is whollyunobstructed, each support including a lower strut joined to the lowerend portion of one of said frame members and extending rearwardly andlaterally therefrom and an upright strut joined to the rear end of thelower strut and to the upper end portion of said frame member to besubstantially vertical when the lower end of said frame member rests onthe ground.

10. A carrier of the character described including, a substantially flatelongate rectangular frame including substantially parallel side membersextending longitudinally of the frame and connected by transverse rails,a pair of wheels, a support for each wheel extending rearwardly andlaterally from the frame to support the wheel outward and rearward ofthe frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frame extends upwardand rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, a handle shiftablyconnected to the frame and projecting from the upper end of the frame toextend parallel with the transverse rails of the frame. the wheels beingcarried by the supports so the space between them is whollyunobstructed, a substantially horizontal platform pivotally carried bythe lower end portion of the frame to project forward therefrom. andsupporting wheels carried by and located beneath the platform.

11. A carrier of the character described including, a straightrectangular frame, a pair of wheels, a support for each wheel extendingrearwardly and laterally from the frame to support the wheel outward andrearward of the frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frameextends upward and rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, aU-shaped handle at the upper end portion of the frame projecting fromthe frame in a plane parallel therewith, the wheels being carried by thesupports so the space between them is wholly unobstructed, a

substantially horizontal platform pivotally carried by the lower endportion of the frame to project forward therefrom, and a basket carriedby the frame forward thereof and having a substantially horizontalbottom spaced above the platform, the basket having leg openings toaccommodate the legs of a child sitting on the bottom of the basket soits feet may be rested on the platform.

12. A carrier of the character described including, a straightrectangular elongate frame, a pair of wheels, and a support for eachwheel extending rearwardly and laterally from the frame to support thewheel outward and rearward of the frame at the lower end portion thereofso the frame extends upward and rearward when its lower end rests on theground, a U-shaped handle shiftably connected to the frame to projectfrom the upper end thereof and in a plane parallel therewith, the wheelsbeing carried by the supports so the space between them is whollyunobstructed, the handle including a part to receive and hold a bag orlike object, said part having exposed portions forming hand grips.

13. A carrier of the character described including, an elongaterectangular frame, a pair of wheels, an independent support for eachwheel extending rearwardly and laterally from the frame to support thewheel outward and rearward of the frame at the lower end portion thereofso the frame extends upward and rearward when its lower end rests on theground, a U-shaped handle shiftably connected to the upper end of theframe, the wheels being carried by the supports so the space betweenthem is wholly unobstructed, a platform, means pivotally connecting theplatform to the lower end portion of the frame to project forwardtherefrom, and a wheel support carried by and located beneath theplatform.

14. A carrier of the character described including, an elongaterectangular frame, a pair of wheels, a support for each wheel extendingrearwardly and laterally from the frame to support the wheel outward andrearward of the frame at the lower end portion thereof so the frameextends upward and rearward when its lower end rests on the ground, anelongate U-shaped handle shiftably connected to the frame to projectfrom the upper end thereof to extend in a plane parallel therewith, thewheels being carried by the supports so the space between them is whollyunobstructed, a platform carried by the lower end portion of the frameto project forward therefrom and castor wheels carried by and supportingthe platform.

' EDWARD A. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,374,379 Klein Apr. 12, 19211,409,838 Emery et al. Mar. 14, 1922 1,576,075 Tisdell Mar. 9, 19261,790,711 Johnston Feb. 3, 1931 1,820,728 Calls Aug. 25, 1931 2,243,312Fiala May 27, 1941 2,368,752 Duis Feb. 6, 1945 2,414,017 Carr et a1.Jan. 7, 1947 2,414,941 Freis Jan. 28, 1947 2,415,392 Morehouse Feb. 4,1947 2,419,422 Shulem Apr. 22, 1947 2,443,847 Williamson June 22. 1948

